You’ve made the decision to sell your home, you’ve got a listing realtor, now what?

There’s a few things to do to prep your home for sale that will ease along the process, help with a quick sale, and get you the best price for you home.

A few touch ups can do a lot to boost the feeling potential buyers get when they walk into your home.  Think about the homes you’ve visited in the past and remember that initial feeling of walking through the door, did the house welcome you in, or did you want to turn around and high tail it out of there. The first impression sets the mood for the showing, don’t underestimate it.

 

Next there’s the more in depth showing, have you ever bought a car, and haggled down the price because “it probably needs new tires, the windshield wipers are on their way out, the headlights burnt out, and well that’s going to cost me X to fix”. Really those are trivial things in the overall cost of the vehicle but it hurts your impression, and gives you talking points to bring the price down. Buyers will do the same with your home.

You want buyers to fall in love with your home and picture their lives living in it, if you can sell them on that vision they won’t want to let it go. Let’s dive into our top tips to prep your home for a quick sale: 

 

Clean, Clean, Clean

No one wants to buy a dirty home. Clean inside and out, polish up the appliances, wash the windows, and make it look like its out of a magazine. If this sounds like a lot of work, consider hiring cleaners to come through.

 

Boost Your Curb Appeal

When potential buyers first roll up to your home you want them to feel at home and invited in.  This starts with curb appeal. Mow the lawn, weed the garden, and tidy up the yard. Potential buyers may also be doing covert drive bys while your house is on the market, so curb appeal isn’t just for open houses.

 

Make Repairs

That to do list of repairs you’ve been putting off for months or years, well this is the time to get to it. Leaky faucets, loose cabinets, paint chips, scuffs, and any other little quirks you’ve been putting off.  They may seem small and trivial but they add to the overall impression and can detract from the perceived value of your home. Consider tackling slight larger jobs too, for example have old carpet that's ugly and really needs replacing? Rip it out and paint the wood underneath, it’ll look cleaner and be ‘ready for new flooring’ rather then just needing it.

 

Remove Clutter and Depersonalize

Clutter makes a space feel small and messy. Clean and organize these spaces so they seem larger and are inviting to look at. Because you want potential buyers to picture themselves in your home, remove overly personal items such as family photos and kids artwork.

 

Organize Closets/Storage Space

Cluttered filled to brim closets make it seem as though storage is limited and storage is a big selling point. Make it look organized and remove anything you don’t currently need (you can pack it away until after the move).

 

Pay Attention to Smells

Probably not a good idea to fry up some kippers the morning of an open house. Be mindful of what you’re doing around open houses and showings that may leave an unpleasant lingering smell.  Baking cookies, or fresh bread is acceptable. Fiberglassing your new surfboard in the living room is not.

 

Give Each Room a Purpose

That ‘flex’ room that you chuck everything you don’t know what to do with in?  Give it a purpose and make it look so. Whether that’s a guest room, office, kids playroom, meditation room, or something else, as long as its perceived as a functional space.  

 

Spa Up Your Bathroom

Picture walking into a fancy hotel bathroom, what do you see? What do you smell? Let’s recreate that.  Folded clean towels, scented candles, nice new soaps laid out, coordinated towels/bath mats, make it look wonderful.

Stage Areas

A nice armchair and a tray with a coffee cup and a book can turn an empty corner in an inviting reading nook.  Help potential buyers picture living in your home by staging just how each area could be used.

 

Spruce up the front entrance

Old faded house numbers? Replace them and make sure they’re visible from the street so your home is easy to find. Front door looking dated/worn out? Add a fresh coat of paint to make it stand out. Create the ultimate first impression with a cheery front entrance, adding some potted plants to the walkway will help guide buyers into your home and set the tone for the showing.

 

The moral of the story is make your home look nice. It takes time, and some effort but it’ll definitely be worth it.  

 

Have additional questions about preparing your home for sale, or curious what your home is worth? Give us a call and any of our realtors would be happy to help you out!